A SERIES of pub break-ins have been reported across Woking, including one at a bar that has been raided 25 times in the past year.

Detectives from Surrey Police are investigating the spate of thefts and vandalism in which fruit machines, pool tables and cash registers were targeted.

One of the incidents took place at the Mayford Arms in Guildford Road, Woking, last Sunday (September 19).

During the night, while owner Clive Dunford was asleep upstairs, thieves smashed a wooden door to gain access to the bar area, causing £500 damage, and forced open the coin box of a fruit machine, escaping with £10 in cash.

Mr Dunford said: “I came downstairs in the morning at about 8am and noticed that one of the fruit machines had been broken. I then looked around and all the back windows had been smashed.

“The thing is it’s happened so many times that I just keep getting someone to come in and fill up the cracks. This is the 25th time we’ve been done in the past year.”

Thieves also attempted to break in to the Anchor public house in Lower Guildford Road, Knaphill, overnight on September 16.

This raid caused £200 of damage after offenders tried to force open two ground floor windows and a set of double doors.

A similar offence took place at a veterinary surgery in Robin Hood Road, Knaphill, the same night, when thieves attempted to break in by forcing access to the front door. Their efforts were thwarted by a metal container blocking the entrance.

Officers are also investigating links with other offences, including a break-in at The Princess pub in Princess Road, Maybury, early on September 14, when thieves escaped with £100 in coins after stealing the cash box from the pool table.

Two cases of non-alcoholic lager were taken during a break-in at the Plough Inn in Cheapside, Woking, on August 28.

Acting Neighbourhood Inspector Dave Griffiths said: “We are investigating possible links between these offences and pursuing a number of lines of inquiry.

“These offences are all similar, in that the suspects are targeting cash boxes, smashing or forcing windows to get in and committing the offences in the hours of darkness.”

The Yeoman Harvester in Old Woking Road, West Byfleet, has also been targeted twice this month.